June 15, 2010

710 years ago
1300

Europeana
The Spanish city of Bilbao was founded by Diego López V de Haro.

680 years ago
1330

Born on this date
Edward, the Black Prince. English royal family member. Prince Edward, the eldest son of King Edward III, was created Duke of Cornwall in 1337 and Prince of Wales in 1343. He led numerous successful military campaigns in France from 1346 through the early 1370s. Prince Edward's brutal treatment of the French earned him a reputation as a hero in England, and a villain in France, and may have been the origin if his nickname. His health began to fail in the late 1360s, but he was able to lead the commons in opposition to the anti-clerical Lancastrian administration. Prince Edward died of dysentery on June 8, 1376, a week before his 46th birthday; his son Richard acceded to the throne in 1377 as King Richard II.

600 years ago
1410

War
In a decisive battle at the Onon River in the Mongolian Plateau, the Mongol forces of Oljei Temur were routed by the Chinese armies of Emperor Yongle.

490 years ago
1520

Religion
Pope Leo X, in Exsurge Domine, threatened to excommunicate Martin Luther.

430 years ago
1580

Politics and government
King Philip II of Spain declared William I, Prince of Orange, to be an outlaw.

340 years ago
1670

Defense
The first stone of Fort Ricasoli was laid in Malta.

225 years ago
1785

Died on this date
Jean-Francois Pilatre de Rozier; Pierre Romain. French balloonists. They became the world’s first air crash fatalities when their balloon exploded during an attempt to cross the English Channel.

210 years ago
1800

Defense
The Provisional Army of the United States was dissolved after 22 years.

110 years ago
1900

Born on this date
Otto Luening. U.S. composer and conductor. Mr. Luening, a native of Milwaukee, spent much of his youth in Germany and Switzerland, but returned to the United States in 1924. He conducted operas and premieres; as a composer, he was a pioneer of electronic music, using synthesizers and editing of tape in works such as Fantasy in Space (1952). Mr. Luening co-founded the record label Composers Recordings, Inc. in 1954. He died on September 2, 1996 at the age of 96.

Politics and government
James Dunsmuir took office as Premier of British Columbia, six days after the non-party provincial election.

100 years ago
1910

Born on this date
David Rose. U.K.-born U.S. songwriter and composer. Mr. Rose won four Emmy Awards for his compositions for television programs, but was best known for the single The Stripper, which reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart in July 1962. He died on August 23, 1990 at the age of 80.

Religion
Carrying the Gospel to all the Non-Christian World was the topic of this day's presentation to the World Missionary Conference at the Assembly Hall of the United Free Church of Scotland in Edinburgh.

90 years ago
1920

Died on this date
Elias Clayton; Elmer Jackson; Isaac McGhie. U.S. lynching victims. Messrs. Clayton, Jackson, and McGhie were Negroes who were working with the John Robinson Circus, which had arrived in Duluth, Minnesota the previous day. They and three Negro co-workers were accused of raping Irene Tusken, 19, a white girl, shortly after the circus was set up. Miss Tusken's doctor examined her and found no physical evidence of rape, but a mob of 1,000-10,000 whites took Messrs. Clayton, Jackson, and McGhie from the city jail, convicted them in a kangaroo court, beat them, and hanged them from a light pole in the only known lynching of Negroes in Minnesota. The state passed anti-lynching legislation in April 1921.

Europeana
Following the 1920 Schleswig plebiscites, Northern Schleswig was transferred from Germany to Denmark.

80 years ago
1930

Baseball
Lou Gehrig hit 2 home runs and batted in 7 runs as the New York Yankees beat the Cleveland Indians 17-10 at League Park in Cleveland. Babe Ruth drew 4 bases on balls before hitting his 21st home run of the season for the Yankees. Herb Pennock (5-1) gave up 16 hits and 7 earned runs, but went the distance for the win.

Jimmie Foxx, Bing Miller, and Dib Williams each drove in 3 runs for the Philadelphia Athletics as they beat the Detroit Tigers 10-1 at Navin Field in Detroit. Lefty Grove (8-2) pitched a 4-hit complete game victory.

The St. Louis Browns scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to defeat the Washington Nationals 3-2 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Heinie Manush, in his second game with the Nationals after being traded from the Browns, batted 3 for 4 with a home run, double, and 2 runs.

70 years ago
1940

War
Operation Ariel began as Allied troops started to evacuate France, following Germany's takeover of Paris and most of the nation.

Defense
U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill expanding the U.S. Navy's air corps by 10,000 planes and 16,000 aviators. He also decided to set up a National Defense Research Committee to plan, coordinate, and organize all scientific work on new weapons.

U.S. Army Colonel Charles Lindbergh urged the United States to stay out of the European war, although he said he favoured hemispheric defense and universal military service.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved and sent to the Senate a bill authorizing increased border patrols to help curb alien entry into the United States.

Politics and government
The Michigan Democratic State Convention endorsed Franklin D. Roosevelt for a third term as President of the United States.

Economics and finance
The United States Senate approved the House of Representatives bill authorizing the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to purchase par value stock in Federal Home Loan Banks.

U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill limiting federal credit union loans to $100 unless adequate security was provided.

Baseball
Harry Danning hit for the cycle to lead the New York Giants to a 12-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 5,941 fans at the Polo Grounds in New York. His home run was an inside-the-park hit that landed in center field and got stuck behind the Eddie Grant memorial near the Giants' clubhouse. Pittsburgh center fielder Vince DiMaggio was unable to extricate the ball in time to prevent Mr. Danning from scoring. Hal Schumacher pitched a 5-hit complete game for the win.

60 years ago
1950

Married on this date
U.S. singer Frankie Laine and actress Nan Grey were wed in Hollywood.

Diplomacy
The West German Bundestag approved the country's entry into the Council of Europe.

World events
The Peruvian government reported the suppression of a one-day Communist-led revolt in Arequipa, the country's principal southern city.

Crime
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested chemist Alfred Slack in Syracuse, New York on espionage charges, claiming that he cooperated with Harry Gold to give defense secrets to the Soviets.

Economics and finance
The Western Allies reopened West Germany to foreign capital investment.

Labour
The Congress of Industrial Organizations Executive Board expelled the 50,000-member Fur and Leather Workers Union and the 10,000-member American Communications Association for alleged adherence to Communist policies.

Baseball
The New York Yankees traded outfielder Jim Delsing, infielder Snuffy Stirnweiss, pitchers Don Johnson and Duane Pillette, and $50,000 to the St. Louis Browns for infielder Leo Thomas and pitchers Tom Ferrick and Joe Ostrowski. Mr. Delsing was batting .400 (4 for 10) with no home runs and 2 runs batted in in 12 games with New York in 1950, while Mr. Stirnweiss was 0 for 2 in 7 games. Mr. Johnson was 1-0 with an earned run average of 10.00 in 8 games with the Yankees, and Mr. Pillette was 0-0 with a 1.29 ERA in 4 games. Mr. Thomas, a rookie, was batting .198 with 1 home run and 9 runs batted in in 35 games with St. Louis in 1950. Mr. Ferrick was 1-3 with a 4.12 ERA in 16 games with the Browns, while Mr, Ostrowski was 2-4 with a 2.51 ERA in 9 games.

Billy Pierce (4-5) gave up just a 5th-inning single to Billy Johnson and a walk to Jerry Coleman as the Chicago White Sox shut out the New York Yankees 5-0 before 6,349 fans at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Ed Lopat (7-4) pitched a 9-hit complete game loss, allowing 3 earned runs.

Bob Lemon (8-3) pitched a 5-hitter and hit a solo home run in the 5th inning to lead the Cleveland Indians over the Boston Red Sox 3-1 before 12,684 fans at Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Larry Doby doubled with 1 out in the bottom of the 6th, and Al Rosen followed with a home run to break a 1-1 tie. Losing pitcher Walt Masterson (1-3) allowed 6 hits and 3 earned runs in 7 innings.

The St. Louis Browns scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning as they overcame a 6-0 deficit and went on to beat the Washington Nationals 16-9 before 2,193 fans at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Dick Welteroth, the fourth of five Washington pitchers, allowed 2 hits and 2 runs--both unearned--in 0.2 innings, walking 2 batters and striking out 1 in the 90th and last game of his 3-year major league career.

Sid Gordon batted 4 for 4 with a home run, double, 3 runs, and 2 runs batted in to lead the Boston Braves over the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 in the first game of a doubleheader before 6,932 fans at Braves Field. Tommy Holmes singled home Walker Cooper with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Braves a 6-5 win in the second game to complete the sweep.

50 years ago
1960

At the movies
The Leech Woman, directed by Edward Dein, and starring Coleen Gray, Grant Williams, Gloria Talbott, and Philip Terry, opened in theatres in Los Angeles as the bottom half of a double feature with The Brides of Dracula.





Baseball
The Philadelphia Phillies traded outfielders Wally Post and Harry Anderson and a player to be named later to the Cincinnati Reds for outfielders Tony Gonzalez and Lee Walls. Mr. Post was batting .286 with 2 home runs and 12 runs batted in in 34 games with Philadelphia in 1960, while Mr. Anderson was hitting .247 with 5 homers and 12 RBIs in 38 games. Mr. Gonzalez, a rookie, was batting .212 with 3 home runs and 14 RBIs in 39 games with Cincinnati in 1960, while Mr. Walls was hitting .274 with 1 homer and 7 RBIs in 29 games with the Reds. Minor league first baseman Fred Hopke was later sent to the Reds to complete the deal; he batted .286 with 13 homers and 47 RBIS in 88 games with the Buffalo Bisons of the AAA International League in 1960, and he was assigned to the Seattle Rainiers of the AAA Pacific Coast League.

The Mexico City Red Devils and Poza Rica Petroleros combined to hit 12 home runs in one game, a Mexican League record.

40 years ago
1970

Hit parade
#1 single in Australia (Kent Music Report): Spirit in the Sky--Norman Greenbaum (5th week at #1)

#1 single in Japan (Oricon Singles Chart): Keiko no Yume wa--Yoru Hiraku (4th week at #1)

#1 single in Spain (PROMUSICAE): Un Rayo De Sol--Los Diablos (3rd week at #1)

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Mademoiselle Ninette--The Soulful Dynamics
2 El condor pasa--Simon & Garfunkel
3 Let it Be--The Beatles
4 Bridge Over Troubled Water--Simon & Garfunkel
5 House of the Rising Sun--Frijid Pink
6 I.O.I.O.--Bee Gees
7 Cecilia--Simon & Garfunkel
8 All Kinds of Everything--Dana
9 Soul Brother Clifford--The Equals
10 Travelin' Band--Creedence Clearwater Revival

Singles entering the chart were House of the Rising Sun; Soul Brother Clifford; Wo hast du denn die schönen blauen Augen her by Wencke Myhre (#14); The Seeker by the Who (#15); Ich geb' ne Party heut' Nacht by the Hubbubs (#16); and Glaubst i bin bled by the Worried Men Skiffle Group (#19).

On the radio
The Challenge of Space, on Springbok Radio
Tonight’s episode: Unaccomplished Mission

Space
A special National Aeronautics and Space Administration review board blamed the near-fatal disaster of Apollo 13 in April on human error and the failure of two "inadequate" safety switches, which caused the oxygen tank explosion in the service module.

War
Three American correspondents--Richard Dudman of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch; Elizabeth Pond of The Christian Science Monitor; and Michael Morrow of Dispatch International--were freed after 39 days as prisoners of Communists in Cambodia. They were the first to be released of 25 correspondents who had gone missing during 10 weeks in Cambodia. Three had been killed and their bodies had been identified, but the three who were released had no knowledge of the fate of the 19 remaining reporters. Three of the missing 19 were Americans: Welles Hangen of NBC; Dana Stone, a CBS cameraman; and Sean Flynn (son of legendary movie star Errol Flynn), a freelance photojournalist.

Law
The United States Supreme Court ruled that men who cited moral and ethical reasons as the basis of their objection to military service were as entitled to exemptions as conscientious objectors as those with objections based on religious belief.

40 years ago
1980

Hit parade
#1 single in New Zealand (RIANZ): Stomp!--The Brothers Johnson (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Switzerland: Funkytown--Lipps Inc.

Austria's Top 10 (Ö3)
1 Der Nippel--Mike Krüger
2 Sun of Jamaica--Goombay Dance Band
3 I See a Boat on the River--Boney M.
4 It's a Real Good Feeling--Peter Kent
5 What's Another Year--Johnny Logan
6 Take that Look Off Your Face--Marti Webb
7 Boat on the River--Styx
8 Hungaria--Fritz
9 Call Me--Blondie
10 Give Me More--The Teens

Singles entering the chart were Call Me; Take Good Care of My Baby by Smokie (#13); Buzz Buzz a Diddle It by Matchbox (#17); and Sexy Eyes by Dr. Hook (#19).

Golf
Jack Nicklaus shot a 2-under-par 68 in the final round to win the U.S. Open at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey with an 8-under-par total score of 272, 2 strokes ahead of Isao Aoki, and the lowest score ever recorded at the U.S. Open. It was the Golden Bear’s record-tying fourth U.S. Open win and 18th win in a major tournament. First prize money was $55,000.



Football
CFL
Pre-season
Winnipeg (0-2) 23 @ Calgary (2-0) 25

Baseball
Jorge Orta batted 6 for 6 (5 singles and a double) to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 14-5 win over the Minnesota Twins.

25 years ago
1985

Hit parade
#1 single in Italy (FIMI): We are the World--USA for Africa (10th week at #1)

#1 single in Flanders (Ultratop 50): 19--Paul Hardcastle

#1 single in the Netherlands (De Nederlandse Top 40): Don't You (Forget About Me)--Simple Minds (3rd week at #1)

#1 single in Ireland (IRMA): I'm on Fire/Born in the U.S.A.--Bruce Springsteen (2nd week at #1)

#1 single in the U.K.: You'll Never Walk Alone--The Crowd

#1 single in the U.S.A. (Billboard): Everybody Wants to Rule the World--Tears for Fears (2nd week at #1)

U.S.A. Top 10 (Cash Box)
1 Everybody Wants to Rule the World--Tears for Fears (2nd week at #1)
2 Everything She Wants--Wham!
3 Axel F--Harold Faltermeyer
4 Suddenly--Billy Ocean
5 In My House--Mary Jane Girls
6 Heaven--Bryan Adams
7 Things Can Only Get Better--Howard Jones
8 Angel--Madonna
9 Walking On Sunshine--Katrina and the Waves
10 Fresh--Kool & the Gang

Singles entering the chart were Shout by Tears for Fears (#64); People Get Ready by Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart (#83); Stir it Up by Patti LaBelle (#85); and Go for Soda by Kim Mitchell (#89).

Canada's Top 10 (RPM)
1 Everything She Wants--Wham!
2 Everybody Wants to Rule the World--Tears for Fears
3 Don't You (Forget About Me)--Simple Minds
4 Crazy for You--Madonna
5 Smooth Operator--Sade
6 Angel--Madonna
7 Walking On Sunshine--Katrina and the Waves
8 Just a Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody--David Lee Roth
9 Suddenly--Billy Ocean
10 Black Cars--Gino Vannelli

Singles entering the chart were 19 by Paul Hardcastle (#76); Not Enough Love in the World by Don Henley (#89); Possession Obsession by Daryl Hall John Oates (#92); Kiss Me by Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy (#93); Who's Holding Donna Now by DeBarge (#94); and Wake Up (Next to You) by Graham Parker and the Shot (#96).

Diplomacy
Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced the temporary closure of the Canadian embassy in Beirut.

Art
Rembrandt's painting Danaë, on display at the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad, was attacked by a man (later judged insane) who threw sulfuric acid on the canvas and cut it twice with a knife.

20 years ago
1990

World events
Nicaraguan President Violetta Barrios de Chamorro announced that more than 14,000 Contra rebels had disarmed under an agreement she had reached with them; their total force had been estimated at about 16,000. Mrs. Chamorro also announced that the Sandanista-trained armed forces would be cut from its present strength of 55,000-60,000 to about 41,000, and that an all-volunteer army would be created.

Politics and government
The New Brunswick legislature, composed entirely of Liberals, unanimously approved the Meech Lake Canadian constitutional accord. In Manitoba, an attempt by all three parties--Progressive Conservative, Liberal, and New Democratic--to secure unanimous approval in order for the bill to go before the legislature failed when NDP MLA Elijah Harper, a Cree Indian, refused to give his consent, saying the accord did not address native concerns--and thereby became a Canadian hero, albeit an enemy of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.

Veteran Nova Scotia MP Patrick Nowlan resigned from the federal Progressive Conservative caucus to protest Prime Minister Mulroney's "highly manipulative" handling of Meech Lake negotiations

Diplomacy
The United States State Department announced that it would withhold U.S. economic aid to Romania. Within the previous two days, riot police and miners had attacked anti-government protesters, ransacked the headquarters of two opposition political parties, and wrecked the office of an independent newspaper.

Economics and finance
The Dow Jones industrial average reached 2935.89, another all-time high.

The United States Commerce Department reported that the merchandise trade deficit had narrowed to $6.94 billion in April.

10 years ago
2000

Died on this date
Grant MacEwan, 97. Canadian politician and author. Professor MacEwan, a native of Brandon, Manitoba, grew up in Melfort, Saskatchewan and attended Ontario Agricultural College and the University of Iowa, obtaining a Master of Science degree. He was Head of Animal Husbandry at the University of Saskatchewan (1928-1946), and Dean of Agruculture at the University of Manitoba (1946-1951). Mr. MacEwan, a Liberal, ran unsuccessfully for the Canadian House of Commons in Brandon in 1951. He moved to Calgary, and was elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 1955; he became leader of the Alberta Liberal Party in 1958, but lost his seat in the 1959 provincial election, and resigned the party leadership in 1960. Mr. MacEwan was Mayor of Calgary (1963-1965), and Lieutenant Governor of Alberta (1966-1974). He was a noted author, writing more than three dozen books, almost all of them about the history of Western Canada. Mr. MacEwan symbolized the province to many Albertans; many things in the province are named in his honour, including MacEwan University in Edmonton. A little-known fact about Mr. MacEwan (virtually unknown, actually) is that while Mayor of Calgary, he perjured himself during an inquiry into political corruption in civic politics in Calgary, and got away with it. A certain lawyer working on the inquiry had the documentation at hand to prove that Mr. MacEwan was lying, but was able to prove his case without having to expose Mr. MacEwan's falsehoods. However, this lawyer lost all respect for Mr. MacEwan.

Jules Roy, 92. Algerian-born French writer. Mr. Roy, a native of French Algeria, was a critic of French colonialism. He wrote novels, plays, and poetry, as well as more than 25 non-fiction books.

Diplomacy
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il and South Korean President Kim Dae Jung concluded their three-day summit in Pyongyang. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said that China rejoiced at the achievements of the summit.

War
British Royal Marines, who had been sent to Sierra Leone to restore stability to a country suffering from civil war, left for England after completing their assignment.

Protest
More than 1,000 rent-a-crowd protesters attempted to storm the Ontario legislature in a show of criminal disobedience over the policies of the Progressive Conservative government of Premier Mike Harris toward the poor. Baton-wielding police dodged bricks, paint bombs, and Molotov cocktails.

Law
The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the five-year-old Firearms Act requiring every gun owner to obtain a license and register every firearm by the end of 2000.

Politics and government
U.S. Vice President and presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Al Gore, who was trailing Republican candidate George W. Bush in most public opinion polls, announced the appointment of Secretary of Commerce William Daley as his new campaign manager, replacing Tony Coelho, who had health problems. Mr. Daley left the cabinet of President Bill Clinton in order to accept his new position.